Equalizing device for knitting machines



EQUALIZING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 29, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 1, 1932. E o, NEBEL I 1,885,539

EQUALIZING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 29, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 nu f NOV. l, 1932. E, 0, EBEL 1,885,539

EQUALIZING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 29. 1931 5 sheets-sheet 5 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 IIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII E. o. NEBEL.

Filed Jan. 29, 19:51

EQUALIZING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINES nullnlnullulln Nov. 1, 1932.

Wij/135566: Mai/i,

Nov. l, 1932. E. o. NEBEI.-

EQUALIZING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 29, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 yar/eggs .Patented Nov.v l, 1932 PATENT OFFICE ERNST OSCAR NEBEL, JENKINTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA EQUnLrzrNe DEVICE ron KNITTING mcnmns Application led January 29, 1931. Serial No.`511,946.

My invention relates to hosiery knitting machines of the full-fashioned type and has for its principal object the knitting of a fabric free from the objectionable imperv fections known as pin holes, which tend to destroy the desired uniform appearance of the stocking.

A further purpose is to utilize the knitted fabric itself as a corrective medium for trueing, or correctly aligning the dividers and sinkers, as to both horizontal and vertical displacements, or either of them, just prlor to the casting oi of the loops.

In full-fashioned knitting mechanism the sinkers and dividers are connected with their operating means through parts subject to wear and allow lost motion. For this reason a further purpose is uniformly and in the same direction to take up the lost mo- 30 tion of these parts justprior to casting 0E the loops in order that the sinkers and dividers may be accurately aligned for the casting 0E of the loop. This is most conveniently taken care by lifting the fabric in immediatelyadjacent position to the sinkers and dividers,

using the resilience of the fabric as an equalizing factor in aligning the fronts of the sinkers and dividers.

A further purpose is to provide an upwardly movable comb, the teeth of which are adapted to pass between the knocking over bits, and to lift the knitted fabric slightly above the normal knitting level just prior to the casting oif of the loops.

A further purpose is to provide both horizontal and vertical adjustment for the comb.

A further purpose is to provide mea-ns for moving the comb out of its operative position at the time of or by the movement of the needle bar when the needles are moved to a position other than their knitting position.

My invention further comprehends suitable mechanism which may be taken care of in the design of new machines but which is 4" capable of being applied in the form of an attachment to the present existing types of machine, whereby the results desired are obtained.

M invention relates both to the methods invo ved and to the mechanism by which these methods conveniently can be carried out.

I have preferred to illustrate my invention by one form only among the various forms in which it could be carried out, selecting a form which is practical, effective and easily adapted to existing machines but whose selection has been made primarily because it well illustrates the principles involved.

Figure .1 is a transverse section through a full-fashioned knitting machine, intended to show particularly the mechanism for the operation of the needle bar and needles, the sinkers and dividers, together with my improved mechanism and the means for operating the same.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the mechanism for the operation of the knocking over bits, and showing my improved mechanism in a different relative position to that shown in Figure l.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are full sized sections showing the knocking over bits, the dividers and the sinkers, in their several relative positions in illustration of my improvement, the stitch being exaggerated in size.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of my improved mechanism showing just suiiicient of the machine to knit one leg of a stocking.

Figures 7 and 8 are fragmentary sectional perspective views showing the sinkers and dividers, and the knocking over bits, together with a portion of my mechanism, and illustratle further the invention shown in Figures 4' an 5.

Figure 9 is a detail sectional plan view' taken on line 9 9 of Figure 3.

Figure 10 is a sectional elevation on line 10-10 of Figure 9.

In the drawings similar numerals indicate like parts.

As the art of full-fashioned knitting is very well recognized and known it will not be necessary at this point to attempt a description of fullfashioned knitting further than to say introductorily that the thread is guided by thread carriers which move along guides so that the thread rests on sinkers and dividers which support the thread until it is cau ht by the beards of vertically movable nee es.

By the operation of the sinkers and dividers the loops are formed and these loops for each course are simultaneously cast off to form a row of stitches with which are subsequently engaged a succeeding row of stitches and so on until the knittingof the fabric has been completed.

Due to vibration, temperature changes and worn parts, the sinkers and dividers do not always assume positions accurately 1n line with respect to one another at the time they are about to cast off their loops, which results in an uneven effect in the finished fabric, producing whatare known as pin holes. This effect -will be understood if we consider that, if a sinker or divider be not moved the required distance to its correct casting otl position, a longer drop or distance'for the casting off is required, and the result is a loop of excessive size as compared with the other loops.

It is to the overcoming of this objection that my present invention is directed.

The thread carriers travel transversely of the length of the machine, and lay the thread upon the ends of the sinkers and dividers protruding from the sinker head, and back of the needles-i. e., away from the operator.

As each thread carrier moves along the needle bar, the sinkers are advanced behind the thread carrier progressively, one by one, and push the thread outwardly between alternate needles, forming a corrugated course when viewed from the top. When the carrier reaches the limit of its travel, all the dividers are advanced simultaneously, causing the thread to embrace every needle.

In this relative position all of the needles of the row, as well as the sinkers and dividers are moved back toward the sinker bed, carrying the thread in this formation with them, until the iiexible beard of each needle comes into contact with the presser edge of the sinker head. When this happens the needle is pressed into the needle groove in the sinker head and the beard is closed about the thread forming a closed eye. At this time the loops of the preceding row are hanging on the needles between the sinkers and dividers and the knockover bits.

The needle bars now start moving downward, and the needles are partly drawn through the proceeding row of loops while the latter are held stationary by the knockover bits. Next the sinkers and dividers are drawn backward into the sinker head. while at the same time the ends of the knockover bits start moving upward.

When the newly formed loops have reached the ends of the sinkers and dividers, the knockover bits are about fg distant from the sinkers and dividers, and the loops are about to slip over their rounded noses and cast oi. onto the bits. It is in this castingcause of the fact that the sinkers and dividers do not always exactly align and therefore the size of the loops cast olf vary.

The irregular time of cast-olf or irregularity of length of loop is due to one or vmore of several different causes, namely, the wear of the grooves in which the sinkers and dividers slide back and forth, the wear in the mechanisms which engage the sinkers and dividers for moving them in and out and temperature changes which materially affect the thin metal of the sinkers and dividers and likewise affect the yarns or silks being fed into the machine. Any or all of these are made effective or exaggerated by the vibration set up in the machine,'particularly where the machine is as large as a full-fashioned knitter. As a result the sinkers and dividers do not assume exact alignment, horizontally or vertically or 'both 'when moved forward into their casting off positions.

In order to remedy unevenness of time of casting o or size of cast-off loops, I provide a comb having each of its teeth positioned in line with and directly opposite one of the knitting needles, and adapted to pass between the knockover bits.

The needles have been moving downwardly during the operation above and as they continue this movement they pull the newly formed loops entirely through the old ones, thus completing a new course.

The needles are next raised to their original position, the sinkers and dividers are advanced above the newly formed course to receive a new thread but meantime holding the loops last formed on the needle stems, and the knockover bits return to their lowest position, so that av new course may be laid and the cycle repeated as just described.

The above description is intended to be general and to apply to any machine. For the purpose of making the subject still more clear and of satisfying the statutory requirement of disclosing the best form known to me, I have shown the invention applied to an existing machine and will describe it in this connection without however intending in the least to restrict the invention to this type of machine.

Referring now to the drawings:

15 indicates one of the transverse supporting frames of the machine tied together by longitudinal angle and channel units 16. The cam shaft 17 carries the cams for the needle bar motions, the movements of the sinkers and dividers, the movements of the knocking over bits, and the movements' of the lifting cams.

A center bed 18 extends over the entire length of the machine, and carries the sinker heads and jack beds, sup orting the jacks 19.

The jacks 19, of Whicli) there are as many in each jack bed as there are sinkers in their known in the art as a Cvoulier motion.

The slur cock 21 pushes the jacks 19 forward as it is moved longitudinally, and the jacks in turn move the sinkers 25 forward until they are stopped against the edge of a stop plate or edge 26 extending the length of the machine known as a verge plate.

The forward movement of the sinkers constitutes the first phase of the operations to form theloops.

The second phase, or the simultaneous forward movement of all of the dividers 27, is accomplished by a bar 28 within whose under groove the vertical projections 27 upon the dividers engage. T hisbar is called a catch bar. It extends through the entire length of the machine. After the sinkersv have been moved forward, the catchbar, against the projection 27' advances to bring the dividers in line with the sinkers 25 to form a loop around eaeh'ncedle 29.

As the needles move toward the presser edge, the catchbar descends to engage projections 25 upon the sinkers so that the sinkers and dividers are both securely held in its groove and move slowly backward, thus causing the sinkers 25 and dividers 27 to recede with the moving needles. 'l

The sinkers receive part of their forward movement from the slur cocks and the balance of their forward movements from the catch bar, whereas the dividers are moved by the catch bar throughout their entire movements.

As soon as the loop has been received by the knockover bits and drawn through the loop previously made, the catchbar 28 moves the sinkers and dividers forward again in order to hold the fabric down when the needles 29 move upward. After that the sinkers and dividers are drawn back to their original position, and the catchbar is raised to release the sinkers so that they may be brought forward again by the jacks.

The horizontal movement of the catchbar 28 is overned by a cam 31 on the shaft 17 and t e vertical movement is governed by a cam 32 also on the shaft 17 An arm 33, fulcrumed upon a fixed shaft, carries near its free end a roller 34 held in continuous contact with the face of the cam 31 by a suitable spring. Cooperating therepushing with is an arm 35 projecting upward and having pivoted at its upper free end a horizontal arm 36. The end of this arm opposite the pivot is attached to the catchbar 28. The cam 31 through the roller 34 moves the'arms 33, 35 and 36, thereby imparting horizontal movement to the catchbar 28.

An arm 37, fulcrumed upon a fixed shaft,- carries at its lower free end a roller 38 which is-held in continuous contact with the cam 32. A second arm t39 cooperates with the arm 37, and at its outer free end carries a pivot to which is attached the lower end of an arm 40. The upper end of the arm 40 has an extension 4l, which in'turn is attached to the catchbar 28. Cam 32 through the roller 38 moves the arms 37, 39 and 40 and extension 41, to impart vertical movement to the catchbar 28.

In the same way, the motions of the needles 29 are governed by two cams and two systems of levers, which cause the needle carriers, and therewith the needles, to make the movements necessary to form the stitch.

Depending from a fixed shaft support, which runs the entire .length of the machine, isan arm 42, which carries near its lower end a. roller 43', held in continuous contact with a. cam 44 fixed to the main cam shaft 17 by a suitable tension spring.

Cooperating with the arm 42 at its upper pivoted end is a horizontal extension 45. The

extension 45 is split horizontally and carries.

an adjustment for the exact positioning of v the needle supporting member 46, known as the needle bar and its inner ends are pivoted to depending lugs attached to the needle bar 46. Cam 44 causes the arm 45 to raise and lower the needle support 46, to impart the necessary substantially vertical movement required. Y

Paralleling the shaft from which the arm 42 is hung is a second supporting shaft from which is hung an arm 47 carrying near its lower end a roller 48 held in continuous contact by a suitable tension spring with al cam 49.

A second depending arm 50 cooperates with the arm 47, and has projecting from its lower end a pin 51. A horizontal arm 52 has its outer free end terminating in a handle 53 and its inner end pivoted to a vertical arm 54 which is in turn attached to the needle bar 46. Cam 44 causes the arm 45 to raise and lower the needle support 46, to impart the necessary substantially vertical movement required.

The arm 52 has several notches 55 which are adapted to straddle the pin 51 and hold the arm in select-ive positions. Through its` attachment to the arms 54, the different positionings of the arm 52 affect the positionings of the needle bar 46 and needles 29. The knitting position of the needles is shown in Figure 1, and the arms are positioned ac- 4cru.

bal

I cordingly. When the horizontal arm 52 is moved to any other of its positions the needles arevmovcd into a position of convenient access, for the purpose of replacement or straightening a bent needle.

Movement of the arm 47 through engagment of the roller 48 with the cam 49 will cause the arm 50 to move the horizontal arm 52, which in turn causes the needle bar 46 to move outwardly (to the right in Figures termediate position shown in dot and dash in Fi ure 5.

Referring now to Figure 2 which illustrates the mechanism necessary to operate the knockover bits 30, cam 60, carried by the' main cam shaft 17 is spring held in continuous contact against a roller 61 which is carried near the lower end of a depending arm 62. Arm 62 is hung from the same supporting shaft as the arm 37.

A horizontal arm 63 is pivoted at one end tothe arm 62, between the cam roller 61 and its fulcrum point, and has its opposite end pivoted to the lower end'oi:l a vertical arm 64 which swings about a shaft support 65. Cooperating with the arm 64 is a second arm 66, having its upper free end forming a pivot point for a horizontal arm 67.

The opposite end of the arm67 is pivoted toa vertical arm 68, and the upper end of the arm is attached to the knockover bit bed 69 which carries the knockover bits 80. The cam thus gives van oscillatory motion to the knockoverbit bed 69.

The knockover bit bed is oscillated in suitable stationary bearings 69', so that the rocking of the bits causes their ends to ascend and descend as the formation of the loops require.

The machine as described thus far is well known in this art, but has been explained in order to indicate within the contines of this case the motions and relations of the several parts of one knitting machine with which parts my invention may be combined and/or may cooperate. I will proceedv with the description of my method and of one mechanism which I may add when it is desired to apply the present invention to a machine of the type selected for this illustration.

is lifted in close proximity to the sinkers and dividers, and yields an aligning pressure upon them. Whether the pressure will be directly upward .or diagonally upward and rearward (as preferred) and the steepness of the slope, where the pressure is diagonal, will depend both upon the position (with respect to the sinkers and dividers) at which the fabric is lifted and the extent to which it is lifted.'

` I find that the lifting is most effective when 1t takes place very close to the sinkers and dlvlders and am -able to apply the lifting pressure at this point by usmg lingers, tines or teeth which are capable of passing between the knockover bits, thus enabling me to locate the lifting means-much closer to the sinkers and dividers than would otherwise be the case.

As the knockover bits and the sinkers and dividers lie in spaced planes, within which spacing there is room for the needles to pass, there is room also for the lifting means which I employ and I can locate lifting fingers, tines or teeth in these spaces to great advantage. l

For convenience of description I have compared mylifting lingers to tines or teeth of a comb 70 which may be carried by the arms of a bridge 71 such as is regularly supported from a table 72 running the length of the machine. The bridge 7l forms a support for the finished knitted fabric. In my use where I mount the comb upon the bridge, in addition to this supporting function it has a swinging movement so that this movement can suitably be. imparted to the comb. There is one comb, or at least one set of tines o r teeth for each set of sinkers, dividers, needles and knockover bits employed, i. e., for each equipment for knitting a single stocking leg.

Any mounting mechanism for the tines or teeth will be effective which is mounted in the position required and is capable of the movements which are given to the tines or teeth for the lifting function and which is also capable of removal momentarily or temporarily when the kneedle bar is thrown back for examination, replacement or repair of the needles. This removal can be by sliding or swing back, as disclosed, or by disconnection.

What I have called a comb 70 is simply a suitable holder 73 for teeth which may be separately held and individually replaceable. In the illustration the individual teeth are square bodied and are clamped between upper and lower holding faces, and the reduced ends 74 of the holder can be slid back against a spring within grooves 75.

The comb is normally held to the inner ends of the grooves, i. e., the end nearest the needles, by the action ofthe springs 76. Limiting screws 77 are provided at the inner end of each groove as stops for the restricted end of the comb holder, and by llO their manipulation an exact horizontal the machine.

At the outer ends of the grooves l7 5 I provide screws 78 for thepurpose of varying and equalizing the pressure of the springs 76. Lateral adjustment as well as vertical positioning is obtained bythe adjusting `discs 79 and maintained by the lock nuts 80 (see Figs. 6, 9 and 10).

When adjusted and set. further movement of the comb is confined to that im-4 parted by the movement of the arms of the bridge 7l, except when the needle bar 46 is moved out of its knitting position, for the replacement `of broken needles or other causes. At this time the .needle bar contacts with fingers 73 which depend from the body of the comb holder -73 and lie in 1 the path of the needle bar, and the comb is carried outward within the grooves 75 `against the actionv of the spring 6, thereby avoiding the contact between the needles 29 and the comb teeth 30.

The bridge 71 is pivoted as at 81 to lugs integral with the table 72 and is maintained in its normal position by the action of two equalizing springs 82, one mounted on each side of the pivot point.l

The bridge is further provided with lugs 83 outward of its pivots 81, and pivoted to each lug is a rod 84. The lower ends of these rods engage with a cam 85 mourted and rotating with the main cam shaft upon l 1 The rods are suitably guided and are held in contact with the cam 85 by thepressure of a spring 86 having one end resting upon the rod guide and its opposite end prssing against a collar 87 fast upon the ro At 88 I have shown the usual Welt bar of the knitting, with a draw-ofi'band 89 attached thereto and attached at its otherwise free end to the usual tensioning and draw-oif mechanism shown at 90.

The operation of the comb is as follows The main cam shaft 17 makes one revolution for each stroke of travel of the thread carriers, which constitutes one lay ofthe thread, the knitting of one course, or one cycle of operation.

The cam 85 is so timed as to permit vthe rocking of the bridge 71 and therewith the lifting of the comb just before the time at which the sinkers and dividers are about to drop or cast oif the thread.

As the knitted fabric is being carried from the knitting point across the top of the comb, the raising of the comb. naturally raises the fabric which in turn bears against the forward and under edges of the sinkers and dividers, raising them, shoving them backward and truly aligning them both vertically and horizontally as the fabric acts as a straight edge moving all the sinkers and dividers inward and upward to an exact alignment. It requires but a momentary movement to raise the comb, and it is dropped again out of the fabric path before the sinkers and dividers cast off their loops. With the sinkers and dividers thus trued Vthe loops are castv off evenly and of a uniformed size, thereby creating a fabric of excellent appearance. i

In describing in some detail as above the mechanism shown, 'Ihave no intention of \r estricting myself to this mechanism as the method of improving the uniformity of casting-off` the loops by aligning the sinkers and dividers may be carried out by a variety of means.

It will be evident that I have disposed the mechanism for alignment of the sinkers and dividers to both operative and mechanical advantage in locating the tines or teeth Within the spaces provided for the needles and have occupied a minimum of space with the mechanism for operating my combs by mounting them upon the bridges whose former function can be performed by the bridges supplied by me, notwithstanding that they are given a rocking movement.

It will be further evident that the alignment by means of the fabric itself not only avoids the necessity for interposition of another operating element, but gives resilience to the aligning means.

It will be-further evident that the location of the tines or teeth of my combs in line with the needles rather than in line with the knockover bits, sinkers and dividers gives not only the resilience of the thickness of the fabric between these combs, tines or teeth and the sinkers and dividers, but gives the added resilience due to the fact that the tines or teeth are not directly in line with the sinkers and dividers, but on opposite sides v of them at the time the pressure is exerted.

'It will be further evident that a art of the benefit of my invention may be o tained even though not all of the teeth indicated are utilized.

It will be further evident that a part of my benefit may be secured by lifting mechanism which does not enter within the spacing planes between the sinkers and dividers or between the knockover bits.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim Vor particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain part or all of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a full-fashioned machine havin sinkersvand dividers from which the threa loops are intended to be cast o concurrently,

a plurality of teeth spaced across the fabi-1c and beneath the fabric but near to the sinkers and dividers and intermittent means for lifting the teeth concurrently to press the 10 fabric into contact with the sinkers and d1- viders just before the cast off, releasing them for the cast oi. v

2. In a full-fashioned machine havin sinkers and dividers from which the threa loops are intended to be cast 0E concurrentl a plurality of teeth spaced across the fabric and beneath it and in proximity to the sinkers and dividers, a mount for the teeth and rocking means for lifting the mount to cause the fabric to engage the sinkers and dividers n just before the cast off.

3. In a knitting machine, a needle bar, needles carried by the bar, a bridge, a comb carried by the bridge and spring-pressed to 01perative position, and fingers rigid with t e comb and adapted to be engaged by the needle bar when the latter is moved out of operative position.

4. In a knitting machine, a needle bar, needles carried by the bar, a bridge, a comb carried by the bridge and spring-pressed to operative position, fingers integral with the comb carried adapted to be engaged by the needle bar When the needle bar is moved out of its operative position, and to be returned to operative position by its spring action `when the needle bar is returned to its operative position.

5. In a full-fashioned machine havin sinkers and dividers from which the threa loops are intended to be cast o concurrently, a plurality of teeth, each one of which is ada ted to lie near to the sinkers and dividers ut beneath the fabric being knitted and means for lifting the teeth just prior to the time when the sinkers and dividers are to cast oi their loops to liftthe fabric in engagement with the sinkers and dividers to align them.

6. In a full-fashioned machine havin 5o sinkers and dividers from which the threa loo s are intended to be cast oi concurrently, a p urality of tines in the planes of the needles, located beneath the knitted fabric and close to the sinkers and dividers and lifting means for the tines adapted to lift the fabric against the sinkers and dividers intermittently, once for each thread course. I

ERNST OSCAR NEBEL. 

